Austria Celebrates the UN Humanitarian Day
Today marks World Humanitarian Day. World Humanitarian Day, is celebrated to honour the many people who have lost their lives in the service of humanity, as well as those who, day after day, make the lives of others easier in emergency situations.
World Humanitarian Day is celebrated every year on 19 August. / Picture: © UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
World Humanitarian Day is celebrated today. The World Humanitarian Day, which is celebrated on the anniversary of the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003, is intended to commemorate the 22 humanitarian aid workers who died in the attack.
To honour them and the many other people who lost their lives in the service of humanity, as well as those who provide humanitarian assistance in emergencies day after day, this holiday has now been celebrated on 19 August for many years.
Last year, World Humanitarian Day was marked by the COVID-19 virus, which kept the world in suspense at the time and still looms like a dark shadow over the world today. In 2021, but also today, those who have shown tireless dedication and selfless commitment in the fight against the disease and have risked their own lives for the people since the outbreak of the virus are remembered above all.
Commenting on Humanitarian Day in 2021, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted: "This year we celebrate them: People who are often in need themselves, such as refugees helping their host communities, local health workers caring for the sick and vaccinating children, and humanitarians achieving access to conflict zones to bring food, water and medicine. They are the unsung heroes of the pandemic - and they too often risk their own lives to save the lives of others."
This year, the many helpers in the wake of the Ukraine crisis will be honoured above all. Those who tirelessly stood by the many millions of people who had to leave their homes and gave them shelter and hope will be honoured.
As every year, special focus is placed on those helpers who lost their lives during their work. To this end, the European Union commented in 2021 that saving lives should never cost others lives and that all perpetrators of such outrages must be held accountable. Humanitarian workers must never be targeted.
Background
World Humanitarian Day commemorates the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad, which killed 22 humanitarian workers.
In 2008, the Day of Action was proclaimed at the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly, and has been celebrated annually since then.
The war in Ukraine and the COVID 19 pandemic have increased the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance. In addition, civilians are repeatedly killed or wounded in targeted or indiscriminate attacks in conflict areas.